[feldmen01]

Even though I am not biased toward any other manufacturer or their products, I generally come to 'Crackberry.com' to learn information based entirely around RIM and Blackberry. If I wanted to read articles on iOS or Android, I would go to their corresponding websites.

I understand that Kevin has taken on a larger role and is now a 'lover of all platforms' but it might be in the best interest of the Crackberry readers and of this site to have segregation as it was before.

I would love to hear the opinions of others around this subject.


Edit: My main concern is with main article posts made by the administrators of Crackberry.com. I woke up this morning to see yet another podcast that was basically all about other platforms (introducing Iterate). Along with the new mobile nations podcast, there seems to be a trend to sway away from Blackberry topics. This might be small at the moment but hopefully it stays that way.

[andyahs]

You can still get all the Blackberry info you need here and Crackberry will be here for a long time. As far as articles on other devices goes you can only blame RIM for that. If they had kept up with the market like they should have and remained competitive with iOS and Android those discussions would be far less.

Hopefully this will begin to change with the introduction of new devices.

[belfastdispatcher]

What annoys me is if somebody post a question like "what blackberry to buy" he'll quickly be suggested an android or iphone.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[feldmen01]

I agree 100% with you that RIM is the main factor in the lack of (good) interest around the company as of late, however I am a firm believer that one of the only reasons why Blackberry is still as popular as it is today is due in large part to Crackberry.com.

When I visit the site and start seeing multi-platform blogs and podcasts, I actually get a little sad that the number one name in all things Blackberry is somewhat abandoning the fight, in a small way...

It's like they're making an insurance policy for themselves. It signifies a precognition of things to come, at least that is the perception I get from it.

[feldmen01]

belfastdispatcher,

That is another concern altogether which I didn't even think of until now...

We will probably see more of these in the future as Crackberry.com becomes more universal in its discussions... This could become beneficial in the future as they start introducing QNX superphones and iPhone users and Android users are suggested a Blackberry to buy, but presently it's only hurting the community.

[Jake Storm]

What bothers me is the feeling that BB fans have to walk on egg shells and be careful not to offend iPhone/Android trolls that use to have a BB and feel the need to come here and evangelize those of us who haven't converted yet. The mods tolerate (welcome) this in the name of tolerance and openness.

It sucks when it's getting to the point you almost need to apologize for being a BB fan on CrackBerry.

I've got nothing against discussing the pros and cons of BB, but the posters who are only here to be negative and spread hate need to be weeded out.
Either that or I need to find a web site for BB fans.

[SmakBerry]

I still enjoy it here and don't mind too much that other platforms are welcome here. What bothers me is when some people start pushing a device on others... kind of like when people come to my door and wave a bible in my face.
Get what works for you and live with it... in the end it is just a platform everyones fighting about.
Stupid if you ask me

[lnichols]

I say dump the other device forums completely and go all Blackberry on Crackberry. If not move those forums to the very bottom like they are done on the other sites. I see no reason with the sister Smartphone Expert sites that cater to the other platforms why their needs to be a section on each of those forums for "other" devices. Open up forums on the mobile nations and let that be the battleground for people who want to slam other devices. I too am sick of having to be sensitive to not offend the other device owners even though people who don't own and/or once owned Blackberry devices can come here and start crap all the time. If I wanted, or wanted to find out about an iPhone, Android, WebOS, WP7 device, etc, I'd go to a forum dedicated to that platform. I don't come to Crackberry to find out how great and magical other platforms are.

[qbnkelt]

Wow....I feel that the site has vastly improved from what it was when Kevin did his clean up. We no longer have to contend with the one line zinger king or with the dude who swore that there were absolutely no BBs in his school district.

I'm going to sound like a suck up right now, but bear with me. The mods on the forums have lives outside of CB.com. They hold jobs, have families, go hiking on weekends, have relationships. They don't devote their entire lives to CB.com. On occasion a troll will post and I'll be the first to tell you that I will jump down his throat in a "very unladylike manner" as onme of my favourite mods told me. But there has been a significant improvement over the last few weeks.

I'm guilty of a REALLY HOT TEMPER and I'm guilty of giving as good as I get, but what the mods have told us they want is to report. And report I do. Up the freakin' wazoo...I'm sure they're sick of me. Just report the id1ots.

I would not necessarily want to ban the other forums; I came here looking for information on how to deal with my 3GS battery life. And I fell in love with the place. I'm addicted. And I've met some really nice guys who are now friends. And there are people I don't necessarily agree with but who are just amazing in what they write (Howarmatt, Rickroller, avt1243) and I wouldn't want to lose them.

The trolls, meh....report their a$$e$. Poor guys need help.

[mmcpher]

Even though I am not biased toward any other manufacturer or their products, I generally come to 'Crackberry.com' to learn information based entirely around RIM and Blackberry. If I wanted to read articles on iOS or Android, I would go to their corresponding websites.

I understand that Kevin has taken on a larger role and is now a 'lover of all platforms' but it might be in the best interest of the Crackberry readers and of this site to have segregation as it was before.

I would love to hear the opinions of others around this subject.

The drift away from the primary mission of this site is palpable, if not yet pronounced. Look at the new podcasts -- "Mobile Nations" and now "Iterate" -- sure, there's some discussion of Blackberry within, but it feels like the opening moves in an effort to transition the nature of this site to a place where Blackberry is an afterthought. Even the last Crackberry Podcast, the day after the earnings call, was like a blanket party with RIM under the covers on the receiving end. Of course there were the expected qualifiers and protestations of continuing loyalty toward Blackberry, but the group piling-on sension had almost a rehearsed quality as if it had been planned as the opening salvo of some new initiative. We are being "taken up the steps" by this site's owners, conditioned to accept what may be coming. Its gotten to the point already that when Kevin piped up in a recent thread to encourage a poster to actually buy a Blackberry product (a Playbook), I was surprised by how surprised I was to see his statement without it being laden and leaden with qualifications.

I hope I'm projecting and mistaken. The new podcasts are actually fine, and I like the level of discussion of alternative platforms in about the current proportions, could even accept a little more discussion and coverage of the rivals. But I hope this place remains the Go To for RIM users. I hope too, that the site owners shake off their dissonance and frustration about RIM, so that when they do cover other platforms and devices, they can just straight cover them, without this constant, nagging negative comparisons to RIM products. I don't come here like a Railbird at the Track, looking to overhear some handicapping touts. I like the analysis of the products in their own rights and the discussions about what lies and may lie ahead. But not everthing in stock price/horse race terms.

[qbnkelt]

I still enjoy it here and don't mind too much that other platforms are welcome here. What bothers me is when some people start pushing a device on others... kind of like when people come to my door and wave a bible in my face.
Get what works for you and live with it... in the end it is just a platform everyones fighting about.
Stupid if you ask me

right now, where I live, the house is so far back from the road that if an evangelical makes it to the house on a bicycle wearing a tie I think I owe him a lemonade.

[belfastdispatcher]

right now, where I live, the house is so far back from the road that if an evangelical makes it to the house on a bicycle wearing a tie I think I owe him a lemonade.

Is that before or after you run them over on your ATV?

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[qbnkelt]

Is that before or after you run them over on your ATV?

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

That's right before Kevin comes out with his shotgun!!!!!
You know them Southerners!!!! Oh wait....you don't!!!!

[belfastdispatcher]

That's right before Kevin comes out with his shotgun!!!!!
You know them Southerners!!!! Oh wait....you don't!!!!

Lol, I can only imagine, especially if you ad some irish into the mix

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[newcollector]

As a minister and as a BlackBerry fan, all I know is that if Qbnkelt will run over her Torch with her ATV for no other reason than it was there, and there is a danger at looking at the wrong end of a shotgun, then I will send her a nice card inviting her to church from a safe distance. Irish or no Irish, I love the Lord, but there is no sense in putting Him to the test.

[SmakBerry]

lol you guys are hilarious.

[mmcpher]

And here's another thing -- what's with this "like" button, with the creepy heart icon? I thought it was covered by the "thumbs up" "thanks" icon. Now I have to distinguish between liking a post and thanking the poster? If I like the post, isn't it common courtesy to all thank the person that posted it? Maybe they should just conflate the two into an all-around "Good on Ya!" Nuance. The bane of modern existence.

[kbz1960]

A refreshing read indeed.

[Bla1ze]

You guys realize we're here to talk about mobile platforms in general right? I mean, yes -- it's CrackBerry but to pretend like other platforms don't exist is pretty outlandish.

We cover lots of things here on CrackBerry and across the whole SPE network of sites -- at times, we do link to offsite content if something is relative. We link to Android Central, we link to the TiPB and the various other sites. You'd think from reading this forum thread though we were posting Android device reviews up on the frontpage of CrackBerry, which obviously we're not.

As far as the various podcasts you're seeing.. take Iterate for example, its not a one platform podcast.. even in the description we are welcoming multiple platform users to come on the show and talk about designing things for mobile platforms in general, nowhere does it say THIS SHOW IS ONLY FOR IOS USERS lol.

If you're one of the best-of-the-best-of-the-best in mobile design for Android, BlackBerry, iOS, webOS, or Windows Phone, we'd love to get you on the show, or if you've found a drop-dead gorgeous app on any platform and really want us to talk about it, contact us and let us know.

It's a show about design.. and application design. You can't make a whole show about those things based simply on BlackBerry alone and that is not and never was the scope of the podcast.

And the other podcast Zen and Tech is about well.. just what it sounds like.. Many of us juggle our "tech lives" daily and that podcast is about showing you how best to manage your tech life while keeping things relaxed.. or shall we say unplugging for a while.. control, balance between all the tech and real life problems.

Hopefully this explains some of it.. although I know some of you just simply won't care, especially those who choose to live in a world where other mobile platforms besides BlackBerry don't exist but that's not reality. Either way, CrackBerry is CrackBerry and it'll stay that way -- but again to not recognize and acknowledge the various other platforms that are out there from time-to-time is just outlandish.

[FigureThisOut]

I'm not as so concerned with the forums anymore. There's been less trolling after the
clean up and that's good. I still like BB but to be blunt, the front page blogs have
gotten kind of boring =/ Reviews for leather pouches for a Playbook just isn't cutting
the mustard anymore.

[melh72]

Lol... I like the "Like" button (not excited about the heart though). Sometimes I just Like something without being Thankful that it was posted...

That being said I actually haven't used it yet...

And here's another thing -- what's with this "like" button, with the creepy heart icon? I thought it was covered by the "thumbs up" "thanks" icon. Now I have to distinguish between liking a post and thanking the poster? If I like the post, isn't it common courtesy to all thank the person that posted it? Maybe they should just conflate the two into an all-around "Good on Ya!" Nuance. The bane of modern existence.

[Jake Storm]

Case in point...
http://forums.crackberry.com/f2/blackberry-rant-626366/

What's the purpose of allowing "Rants" like this?
As a self proclaimed site for BB enthusiasts, what does this really contribute other than post count?

[Jake Storm]

Thank you Shao...
http://forums.crackberry.com/f2/rim-626521/

[feldmen01]

Hi Bla1ze,

Thank you for your comment. Regarding the 'Iterate' Podcast, my concern is episode 1 consists of the following:

"In our debut episode, Marc, Seth, and Rene talk Notification Center in iOS 5, webOS cards and stacks, Photoshop 5.5 and SDK, linen textures, justified text, and talk with Anton and Dmitry of SoftFacade."

The relationship to Blackberry just isn't there...yet.

I am in no way avoiding or denying the existence of other platforms, and I am adamant on encouraging debate when it can be backed by analytical, purposeful discussion, just not on websites designed for a very specific market, such as Crackberry.com. I feel the same way when I visit Android central and see articles based around Blackberry.

I don't go to Ford's fan website to learn more about Mazda...

Maybe it's time for a website name change. (Crackidroidberry7web.com)

[Jaguarr40]

You guys realize we're here to talk about mobile platforms in general right? I mean, yes -- it's CrackBerry but to pretend like other platforms don't exist is pretty outlandish.

We cover lots of things here on CrackBerry and across the whole SPE network of sites -- at times, we do link to offsite content if something is relative. We link to Android Central, we link to the TiPB and the various other sites. You'd think from reading this forum thread though we were posting Android device reviews up on the frontpage of CrackBerry, which obviously we're not.

As far as the various podcasts you're seeing.. take Iterate for example, its not a one platform podcast.. even in the description we are welcoming multiple platform users to come on the show and talk about designing things for mobile platforms in general, nowhere does it say THIS SHOW IS ONLY FOR IOS USERS lol.

It's a show about design.. and application design. You can't make a whole show about those things based simply on BlackBerry alone and that is not and never was the scope of the podcast.

And the other podcast Zen and Tech is about well.. just what it sounds like.. Many of us juggle our "tech lives" daily and that podcast is about showing you how best to manage your tech life while keeping things relaxed.. or shall we say unplugging for a while.. control, balance between all the tech and real life problems.

Hopefully this explains some of it.. although I know some of you just simply won't care, especially those who choose to live in a world where other mobile platforms besides BlackBerry don't exist but that's not reality. Either way, CrackBerry is CrackBerry and it'll stay that way -- but again to not recognize and acknowledge the various other platforms that are out there from time-to-time is just outlandish.

I not only agree with Bla1ze but I actually shocked that this thread has not gone off topic and has stayed in a civil manner which only goes to show that a great thread conversation brings out the truly passionate about CrackBerry, Their BB devices and how much they love coming here like I do so bravo to everyone who has posted in this thread.